Homebrew PCBs

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Simao Cardoso <simaocardoso@...> wrote:

> If you find yourself careless about connectors pinouts i won't recommend
> that you run a pcb plating setup yourself... 

[grin] I'm not generally careless... It's just something that stuck in my mind because sitting and staring at a useless piece of circuit-board for an entire week - that you took off for the explicit purpose of working on it - tends to have an impact :)

I've built a (real, not the PCB one) CNC machine, a Makerbot, etc. They're all complex in their own way, and they all need you to develop a skill-set in order to use them properly. I'm not really too afraid of that.

> About time, i would point
> something close to 100 the number of hours needed in
> reading/understanding to operate the thing without trouble. There is a
> big lack of specifications or description for such machine, or either it
> pleases be to buy it. Conventional pcb copper plating setup with big
> dependency in addictive aren't easy or cheap to maintain. The most
> hazard chemical in todays activation/plating chemistries is the copper
> sulfate, can't see why it can't go thought customs. If you need to find
> yourself and depend on another supplier for chemistry the machine is
> worthless, or by other words, depends on your knowledge if it will work.

The basic problem here is a lack of knowledge on my part. In their initial email, they claimed there are 3 things I'll need:

 - copper-bath. My guess on this was CuSO4, but what molar concentrate ? I don't know.
 - black hole agent. I have no idea what this is.
 - mild etching agent. Again, I have no idea. Dilute HCl ? 

I've asked for more details, but am currently waiting for them to wake up :) I think it's about 8AM over there as I type this...

> 
> If it help, i think these suppliers are/can be found on US:
> 
> http://www.os-tech.com/chemistry.htm 
> http://www.floridacirtech.com/Databases/pdfs/OMEGA%20II%20VERTICAL.pdf 

Thanks, that could turn out to be useful.

> The holder of the palladium based direct plating chemistry patents
> worldwide is SOLUTION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS, 538 E Stuart Ave, Redlands,
> California 92374-3544 US. The product was HN504, it's said it can be
> found from OS-TECH as OS-522R Cleaner / Conditioner, OS-523 Predip,
> OS-524 Activator, OS-525 Accelerator (look at the pdf catalog at the
> main page).

Cheers :)

> Many other suppliers around but the only other (better) chemistry you
> may like to try is Neopact from Atotech, but won't be available in small
> quantities. 

... and I've read that typically the shelf-life of these things isn't great...

Thanks for the info :)

Simon